Ublituximab

Find out more about ublituximab

• Ublituximab is an antibody, just like those found in the immune system (where antibodies help fight infection)

• It is allso being tested in phase 3 trials for cancer, including leukaemia and lymphoma

• Ublituximab works in a similar way to Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), binding to the surface of a type of immune cell (called a B cell) and reducing their numbers. These cells are thought to be one of the immune cells that attacks myelin in MS.

Phase 2 trial
A small trial of 40 people due to finish in November 2018. It’s testing whether different doses of ublituximab (150 – 600 mg) can reduce B cell numbers in people with relapsing MS. It is also looking to see whether ublituximab can reduce the number of relapses people have.

In February 2018, preliminary results from this trial were announced at ACTRIMS. At week 4, ublituximab nearly wiped out B cells, with only 1% remaining. This was sustained at week 24. Ublituximab also completely suppressed the development of new MRI lesions, and 97.5% of people taking the treatment were relapse free at week 24.

Ublituximab has not been widely tested in people with MS. In the phase 2 trial, ublituximab was reported to be well-tolerated after 24 weeks. The most common side effect reported was a reaction to the infusion .

Ublituximab is being compared with Aubagio in Phase 3 trials, but the results have not yet been reported. This means it isn’t possible to draw conclusions about its relative effectiveness at this time.

You may also be interested in

Ponesimod

A moment that changed MS research - 20 years ago

On 16 January 1998, Professor Richard Reynolds set off to personally collect the first human brain for the MS Society Tissue Bank at Imperial College. Since then, the centre has grown to become a vital resource for researchers all over the world.